


"Why are your hands purple?"

by orphan_account



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-02-12 12:55:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12959661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Lucy is having a hard time with Alex being back at the D.E.O.





	1. In the Office

Lucy paused behind the corner where her girlfriend couldn’t see her. Where her girlfriend - who was currently residing in her office because she’d broken the rules, and by extension the law, - couldn’t see her. She took a deep breath, straightened her uniform and walked directly into her office. She didn’t even glance at Alex though she clocked the fact that Alex was pacing. As soon as she sat down, Lucy opened the file waiting for her on her desk, relating to the ‘situation’. 

“Please, have a seat Agent Danvers.”

Alex audibly gulped, but still Lucy didn’t look at her. The situation it seemed was fairly standard, Kara had been in trouble and Alex had gone out to rescue her without permission. The only big problem was that Alex was currently restricted from field duty. Lucy finally looked up, ready to reprimand her girlfriend, but she was thrown off course. 

"Why are your hands purple?" 

"That, is a very good question."

"One I'm hoping for an answer to."

"Okay, well, before we start the conversation, I am alive and well and we successfully captured the alien." Lucy glared.

"Alexandra Danvers you are going to tell me the whole story right now or so help me god I'll call Maggie in as well and then you'll have to face us both."

Alex backed off, raising her - very purple hands - up in defeat. 

"I'm sorry! It was kind of, Kara was fighting an alien."

"When isn't she?"

"But it wasn't going well. Not, like, she was going to seriously suffer, but I just, I knew if I bought her some time she'd be able to stop it."

"I'm still waiting to hear about the hands."

"Well, I, um, I might have spoken to Winn, and maybe that resulted in him telling me where Supergirl was specifically, and I may have gone there and yelled at the alien and then tried to shoot it - which by the way, whilst not effective in killing it, seriously pissed it off. When the alien came for me, it got a little too close before Kara took it out and, well, when it touched me, my hands turned purple."

"I see." Lucy sighed. "Do you remember that you are currently benched? And should therefore be doing lab work only? And because you are supposed to be doing lab work only, do you know that means you should not be going in to the field? Any of that - ring a bell perhaps?" Lucy could hear the irritation in her voice, and she knew Alex could as well. She recognised the sheepish look she was being given, Alex using it to mask the genuine worry that she'd upset Lucy. Most of the time work and home could be kept separate, but Lucy had a hard time separating her feelings for her girlfriend and her feelings about Alex’s incessant tendency to put herself right in the middle of danger.

"I would bench you. I would tell you that you are benched. But here is the situation - you were already benched. And so I don't know what to do." 

Alex looked at Lucy, and Lucy stared right back. They were caught really, neither having the answer to a difficult situation. Lucy sighed again, and turned her attention to Alex's hands.

"Have there been any side effects?"

"Urm, not exactly, when it first happened, if I touched my skin anywhere else, it turned that area purple for a short while, but that stopped happening pretty quickly. On the other hand, I have literally no idea how to fix it."

"Brilliant."

"Sarcasm's new."

"First it isn't, second, really, now is when you want to get snappy?" Lucy turned away, closing her eyes in frustration. There was a pause, and Alex found herself wondering how to proceed. She gently laid her hand on Lucy's arm, drawing her attention back up.

"I'm sorry I got into a fight. I'm sorry I went into the field when I'm still technically benched but Luce - I shouldn't be." Alex stopped herself again, seeing the initial flicker of something pass over her girlfriends face, but she knew she had to carry on. "We both know that's true. If someone else was managing me they would have had me cleared the minute the medbay said I was fit for active duty."

"You are the medbay!"

"Which is why you ordered Dr. Hamilton to be responsible for the reports about how I was healing. And she was. You shouldn't have benched me for the extra week."

"Don't tell me how to do my job Alex." 

"I'm not-"

"I am your superior officer and I- I am not above pulling rank." 

Alex heard the anger laced into Lucy's voice, but she also heard the slight stutter. So she tried again.

"I need to work Luce-"

"No. Don't. Do not Luce me right now, we ARE at work Alex." Lucy swallowed, she could feel the anger in her system but Alex was right, she shouldn't let her emotions rule her right now. Except, Lucy realised, her feelings were technically justified by Alex's actions.

"And I thought we were discussing the situation where you intimidated a fellow employee, used D.E.O resources for personal use and exhibited reckless behaviour. All to intervene in a fight with a pre-determined outcome. Whilst benched. You broke the law and I could have you fired."

Alex wanted to snap back but she knew Lucy, and she knew that would not improve the situation. So instead she grit her teeth.

"Yes."

"Not to mention that as a result of these actions - you have been physically altered by an unstable alien and at this current time the results of this are unknown." Alex literally bit her own tongue for a second, willing herself not to snap. This was Lucy. Lucy loved her. Alex knew she also cared about Kara. Alex knew she was mad because she'd broken the rules. Alex knew it ran deeper than that.

"Yes."

"Agent Danvers can you give me one good reason why I should not fire you?" Alex froze for a second. Lucy's words taking a minute to sink in. Lucy was actually considering removing her from the D.E.O.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me."

"Are you fucking kidding me-"

"That language is not perm-"

"No, fuck you Luce. My sister was in pain and I could delay that. I'm always going to delay that, she's my little sister and I protect her that's how we work. I am sorry that I almost died. But it was two months ago Lucy and I listened to you and I listened to Maggie. I received medical attention at the D.E.O. I only went into the D.E.O for checkups, I didn't even work in the labs. And then when I was cleared for work, we had a conversation and I listened, and I agreed to work only in the labs for a little while. And when I had my final check-up, we agreed - we agreed that I would be allowed to come back to full FUCKING WORK." Alex was shaking. She could hear her own, harsh and heavy breathing, and suddenly became aware of how tightly her fists were clenched, half-moon imprints dark on the palms of her hands.  
"But you decided no. You decided I need an extra week and I gave that to you because I knew you needed it but fuck no Lucy you do not get to take the D.E.O away from me. We protect our assets and I protect my little sister. So I did my job - as an agent, and as a sister."

Alex finished speaking but Lucy didn't move. Alex waited, needing Lucy to speak, but she knew it was probably better not to push. She stood, needing to pace, to relieve some of the tension she was feeling.

Lucy just stared. She saw right through Alex and everything else.  
She was staring at Alex's mangled body on the ground. A newer version of red tornado was being tested for a second time, and because the army couldn't learn from their previous mistakes, they were faced with a similar crisis. Except this time, the tornado was smarter. It had hidden, had followed Supergirl and seen her talking to Alex, had recognised there was some kind of attachment there, and so when it finally made the decision to attack, it went for Alex first, ready to use her as some kind of leverage. The robot had picked her up, and as Supergirl had flown in, it had just, squeezed.  
Lucy could still hear Alex's screams as her bones cracked.  
Alex had two broken collar bones, one broken rib, three fractured ribs, and a broken leg. When Supergirl agreed to stand down, Alex screaming at her no, the robot had just smiled and dropped Alex to the ground. Kara caught her, and laid her down with the D.E.O, but Lucy went to pieces. She froze, and panicked, unable to process the idea of losing one of her girlfriends. Kara did her best to get Lucy to stop staring, to get her to breathe again, but she still called Maggie. She knew Lucy needed her, and when she turned up at the D.E.O no one questioned it. 

"Luce, Luce, listen to me, look at me okay, can you do that?" Vaguely, Lucy heard Alex's voice. It sounded quiet and kind of funny.

"Luce, can you look at me sweetheart?" Lucy frowned, what was Alex talking about, of course she could look at her. She moved her head up and her vision suddenly swirled, bright coloured lights obscured her sight and she could feel her left eyelid twitching. 

"You need to breathe okay? Can you hear me breathing? Can you copy that?" Alex knew Lucy was not good at being touched when she panicked, but she desperately wanted to ground her girlfriend.

Slowly, Lucy’s vision cleared, and she started focusing on the room again. She realised she was sat on the ground behind her desk, but she had no idea how she’d got there. Alex was in front of her, not in her immediate space but close enough to reach out to her. She could hear Alex talking about her breathing and suddenly she could feel the tightness in her chest and the clawing feeling in her lungs. She took in a big gulp of air and breathed out again and saw Alex sag in relief. 

Lucy forced herself not to speak, not to talk or acknowledge what was going on, just to listen and match Alex’s breathing. Alex herself quickly realised what Lucy was doing and tried to take slightly deeper breaths to help her girlfriend out. Eventually, Lucy felt settled, and she reached a hand up to the corner of her desk and pulled herself up. She dusted her uniform off a little, and then turned to Alex, who hadn’t made a move to stand.

Eyes softening, Lucy extended her hand to Alex to help pull her up. As soon as Alex was stood, Lucy hugged her. 

“I’m sorry.” They both whispered it at the same time, then stood back and laughed. 

Alex gestured to Lucy, “you first.”

“I’m sorry I benched you. I just - It was really scary. Really, really scary to see you on the floor. You’d passed out from the pain I think, but your whole body just looked, broken. You looked broken. And when I think about it I can hear you screaming and layered underneath the sounds of your bones breaking and I can’t do anything. Kara couldn’t do anything. He could have just squeezed the life out of you and if that’s what he’d chosen to do we wouldn’t have been able to stop it. And we would have had to watch.” 

“I’m right here.”

“I know. But sometimes I can’t – I know it’s your job and I know you’re good at it and it comes with the territory and all of that stuff but I just can’t put you in danger. I think perhaps you should go back to working under J’onn – we’re the same rank and he still cares about you but he’s had a lot more practice controlling the concern.”

“I’m sorry I worried you. I’m also sorry for, uh, ‘using intimidating behaviour with a fellow employee, using D.E.O resources for personal use and for exhibiting reckless behaviour’. Can I keep my job?” Alex smirked, and Lucy narrowed her eyes, before pulling her girlfriend towards her and kissing her, hard. 

Just as Alex started to deepen the kiss, Lucy pulled back smirking. Alex groaned and Lucy laughed.

“Get out of my office. Find a solution for your hands, and I’ll call Maggie and let her know we’re having a night off together – sound good?”

“Mmmhmm.” Alex leaned back in for another quick kiss, which Lucy obliged, but pulled back from quickly.

“Go – or we’re never going to be able to leave.”

Alex grinned. “Yes Ma’am.” She smirked as she caught the slight catch in Lucy’s breathing before turning and sauntering out the office. Lucy rolled her eyes at her girlfriend’s antics before settling back at her computer and starting to file in the paperwork from Alex’s mishap.


	2. In the Home

"Mmm something smells good." 

"That is correct Lane." The door closed behind Lucy as she walked into her shared apartment. She spotted Maggie moving round the kitchen and as she removed her heels she took a moment to appreciate her partner in her role as domestic goddess. She was something to behold in a grey tank top, tucked into khaki sweatpants, her hair clearly just flung up. She was dancing round the kitchen to whatever it was coming out of the radio, spatula in hand, as she cooked. 

Moving further into the apartment, she noticed a distinct lack of Alex Danvers. Lucy took a seat at the kitchen counter, a coffee in her hands before she could ask for one accompanied by a wink from Maggie. It was then she noticed only two places had been set. Lucy frowned.

As if she read her mind, Maggie spoke. "Alex rang on her way home."

"Oh?" Lucy kept her tone neutral. She knew her and Alex would eventually tell Maggie what had happened but she didn't want to accidentally reveal anything in case Alex wanted to talk to Maggie together. She was slightly surprised though - she'd been certain Alex would have made it home before she did. She racked her brains for the last time that she'd made it home before Alex, but - missions aside - she couldn't recall. 

"She rang to give me a heads up about a certain - mishap." Maggie, her back now facing Lucy as she was focused on some three pans that she was simultaneously watching, raised her hand and wiggled her fingers.

"Ah - the purple hands."

"Indeed the purple hands." Maggie sighed and Lucy noted suddenly, the undertone to Maggie's actions. Hair thrown up - in a rush, a complicated dinner - to distract herself, and comfort clothes - just in case she needed to be available for comfort.

"Alex told you."

"She mentioned there was a conversation about when she was going back to work."

"She told you about the anxiety attack." Even saying the words aloud Lucy felt herself tense slightly. She was strong. So was supposed to be strong. Except she had one, massive, gaping weakness.

"Yeah she did. And she told me you came out of it without much help from her at all. My badass of a girlfriend." Lucy could hear the pride in Maggie's voice but she couldn't help but feel it was slightly misplaced. The words came out before she could stop them.

"I'm not a badass I have anxiety." Lucy snapped the words out and then cringed at her own tone. She saw Maggie stiffen. Slowly, Maggie turned to face her.

"You are a badass. And you have anxiety. Your badassery does not negate your anxiety and your anxiety does not negate your badassery. You have both Lane."

There was a beat, where Lucy was a little too caught up in her own head and Maggie was a little too caught up in the passion behind the words, god she wished Lucy and Alex could see themselves from her perspective sometimes. 

"I know that." 

Glad to hear it - I'm going to carry on cooking now." And just like that the tension dissolved and Maggie was back to dancing around the kitchen. She came round the counter and planted a kiss on Lucy's cheek, grinning as she did so. Lucy caught her before she could pull away and saw the sparkle in Maggie's eyes as she lent in for a slightly more proper kiss on the lips. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Maggie mumered the words to Lucy and she was so close Lucy could feel her lips move. Lucy leant her forehead against her girlfriend's and sighed. 

"I'm okay." And as Lucy said it, she smiled, knowing in her own home, with her girlfriend's as her company, that it might just be true. 

"Glad to hear it." Maggie grinned as she pulled away and made her way back round the counter. As she began to plate up the food Lucy's attention was brought back to the conspicuous absence of a one Alex Danvers. 

"Maggie where's Alex?"

"Hmm?" There was a slightly teasing note in the hmm, that Lucy caught immediately. She narrowed her eyes.

"Miss Margaret Sawyer what have you done with our girlfriend?" 

"Why? Nothing at all Director. I swear it." Maggie made a ridiculous mock salute, before making a show of tilting her head to the side and batting her eyelashes. Lucy snorted.

"And yet somehow - I'm inclined to question you." 

"I haven't done anything with Alex Luce, I promise." Maggie's emphasis on 'I' caused Lucy to narrow her eye's again. As Maggie finished plating the food and put it on the table, drawing Lucy over to her and away from the kitchen, she spoke.

"I would suggest eating up. Any leftovers and you might not be allowed desert." Lucy raised her eyebrow's as if to question these rules but Maggie winked. "Ma'am." 

Lucy's reaction was almost instant, she sat immediately, and straightened her uniform out before tucking into the chicken arrabiata served over linguine. She ate quickly, and Maggie grinned. She had served herself a smaller plate for this very reason. She'd actually eaten earlier, just been using Lucy's homecoming as an excuse.

"Desert?" Lucy said, as she finished. It sounded partially like a question and partially like an order, and Maggie felt her face flush, as she rose, quickly clearing away the dishes and then taking Lucy's hand. 

"I thought we'd finish our meal in the bedroom." Eye's sparkling, Maggie lead Lucy to their one shared room. With the one giant bed. Upon which, as Lucy saw as she entered the room, was a one very naked, very tied up, Alex Danvers. A slight buzzing sound hit Lucy's ears which suddenly made sense as she clocked the sheen of sweat on Alex's body and the look of desperation on her face as she spotted Maggie and, more importantly, Lucy and started to cry out.

"P- ple... oh gods PLEASE. Ma'am - M'am. Maggie." 

"Desert Luce?" Lucy turned to a very clearly smirking Maggie.

"Oh yes please. Strip."

Maggie heard her dominant. She wasted no time following her girlfriend's orders and grinned as she knew that they were going to spend a very enjoyable evening together. Perhaps, Alex breaking rules at work was worth it if this was what happened every time. So long as Lucy was alright. As she watched Lucy step over to Alex, she was slightly worried as she saw her freeze. 

"For god's sakes Alex," Lucy fell out of her dominant role instantly, "your hands are STILL purple!" 

Lucy frowned. Alex groaned. Maggie snorted. 

"It's okay Luce - the department called it a 'transspecies pigmentation alteration' and that it'll clear up within the next week."

"It is not okay. As far as I'm concerned," the dominant facade slipped back over Lucy, Maggie stepped back and Alex shivered, "you can wait a week until your next orgasm." 

With that, Lucy picked up the vibrator resting against Alex's core, switched it off, tossed it over to Maggie and marched back out of the room.

Alex took a minute to get her breathing back under control, and when she'd managed it, turned to Maggie. 

"Do you think she's serious?" The slight fear in Alex's tone made Maggie laugh.

Maggie set about untying Alex's bonds as Alex whimpered. She caught her muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'fucking purple hands'.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading - and please take the time to comment! All comments are appreciated and, did you know, they actually double as a food source for fanfic writers who then write more for you. Win win, right?!


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